RUB BBQ

09/29/09

Wow!!! I don't know if I am coming back

by 44Deal44 at Citysearch

Well I come to this place a lot, simply because I love Barebque and this place does it right. I usually come during the week on my lunch break and I have never had a problem. I deicied to try this place on the weekend, on a Saturday night a couple of weeks ago. Well the hostess set me and my guests in the front section. I waited for a while for the waitress to come over and get our drink orders, and it seemed as though it panied her to take the order. It seemed she was in a bad mood when I started asking her about the beers. I got very short answers and not the info I needed so I went with a soda. I think the only reason she got frustrated because I was asking questions about a beer I wanted, and it seemed like she was much more important than I. Well it took forever to get our drinks, and I almost got up to leave because it the length of the wait was absurd. Another thing that may have fueled my fire was that I watched her go where the drink place is, where you get the drinks, and I could hear her complaining about our table. When she came back to take our food order I didn't even ask questions about what might be good meal for three people. I felt like I was more of a bother than anything. Well we ordered our food and it came out pretty quickly considering the place wasn't that busy, but was getting there it seemed. The waitress never came over to refill our drinks. When I was observing to see where she might be, I couldn't find her. I had to get the boy that was clearing the tables to get our table more drinks. Finally she came back over when we were finished and asked how was everything, we all said fine and she didn't even ask if we wanted anything else, but said thank you and put the bill down. Of course I looked on the bill to see if there was any name on there, and there it was "Teri". I usually leave 20% or more but I left 10% and she was lucky she got that. I may never come back at dinner again. I have had better times and service at lunch, and it seems like the people want to be there as opposed to making you feel like a bother. I hope "Teri" one day will learn the value of customer service and being professional. Luckly I am not giving up on RUB, but now I know who I don't want waiting on me or my guests again.

• Pros: Great Food!!!! They know barebque well!!!
• Cons: My Server

08/29/09

Food is OK, Service is AWFUL

by believeitornot at Citysearch

My husband and I loved the bar bq chicken wings and got them to go often during our first year in the neighborhood. We rarely ate in, so I really didn't experience the service. The few times we did eat in, we tried a few of the more popular entrees (duck, pulled pork etc). They were OK, but pricey.

Tonight I came by with my kid to eat in. What a mistake. The waitress ignored us (when we were clearly ready to order and I had informed the woman who seated us that we knew what we wanted). Once our food was ordered and dropped on our table by a different server (hmmm, put the hot food directly in front of the toddler? not the best move), our waitress came back for a quick, "everything ok?" while I was first biting into the food. Couldn't say otherwise!

The wings were the same as always, but my kid wouldn't eat the grilled cheese sandwich I had ordered for him, and I couldn't figure out why. Well, that's bec it was tasteless. It was dry (no butter I could detect in the bread) and the cheese had no taste whatsoever. I tried to catch the waitress and couldn't. Spoke to the person who seated us (manager? hostess? I was told she was a manager) and she assured me it was American cheese, buttered and she had had it and it was fine. It was NOT. I told her I would still pay for it (not that she offered to take it off bill or remake it right). I ordered a side of cornbread but by that time, my kid told me he wanted to go home and EAT. (Couldn't blame him!).

I tried to get waitress to bring us bill (my body language was pretty clear the whole time that we were ready to go). She made a point to not come by. I asked two people working nearbyif I could just go up and pay, but was told my server had to do it. I got frustrated at the delay (waitress had now spilled something on another table) and said so to the other waitress (standing there doing nothing). I explained that I used to LOVE this place, but this time there was no tip despite the fact that I usually tip 30% (especially when i am with a kid). I reminded her that "the customer is always right" and she let me have a mouthful of psycho babble about how the customer is NOT always right, its about the individual relationship between server and customer, blah blah blah. (I asked her where she got her MBA, but that was over her head)

Got the bill, naturally I paid for the grilled cheese, but I left no tip. I am still shocked that I would stiff someone, its unlike me.

When I left, I wanted to speak to owner, but they wanted my info, rather than give me his name/info. I had no intention of giving mine to these people, I don't need crazy crank calls (they were that type of people, not professional in the least).

So, if you want wretched service, go to RUB, sit at Terry or Andrea's table and drink 12 dollar martinis. If you want good barbecue, try Daisy Mae's.

• Pros: Leaving
• Cons: Pretty much the whole experince

05/29/09

Great BBQ, Worst Service

by cazfish at Citysearch

Their service is very very bad. Start from waiting to be seated until pay the bill. We got our BBQ but we have to ask for our BBQ sauce. Food is quick but wait forever for ordering. Missing drink, missing order. Not even a rush hour.

Food is quite good. You can see real smoke ring. Recommend to-go, not eat-in.

• Pros: BBQ is top five in New York. You can see the real smoke ring
• Cons: Service is really really bad. Recommend take-out.